Brand New Auditorium Could Be Part Of $89.9 Million Plan For Darien's Middlesex Middle School

DARIEN, CT — Darien Public Schools features an excellent K-12 music and visual arts program, and now Middlesex Middle School could get a new auditorium to match.

The Board of Education last week heard a presentation from Mount Kisco, N.Y.-based KG&D Architects on a facilities assessment and master plan study for MMS, which was conducted over the summer and this fall.

The meeting is now available to watch on demand on Darien TV79.

Officials from the architectural firm noted the MMS building, which was built in 1925 and added to in 2000, is generally in good condition, but several building systems are aging out.

Notably, the current auditorium is undersized at 400 seats, and it contains outdated finishes. MMS was designed for 900 students, but class sizes are approximately 360 each, noted KG&D's Principal of Design Erik Kaeyer during the Nov. 25 BOE meeting.

BOE members were presented with two options for the auditorium that would be included in a larger plan for the building - a complete renovation of the existing auditorium, or the addition of a brand new 800-seat theater.

"It gives you a really wonderful 400-seat theater for one class size. It gives you modern sound systems and lighting and stage and curtains and rigging and better seating," Kaeyer said of the renovation option.

A new auditorium would "step down" a nearby hillside, creating stepped seating and better projection from those on stage, according to Kaeyer. The location would also allow for a special event entrance into the auditorium.

Other projects recommended for MMS include a $7.6 million roof replacement and $20.5 million in mechanical, electrical and plumbing upgrades to the building.

Additionally, $10.9 million would bring interior renovations and alterations to MMS, such as the renovated auditorium, a renovated library with new furniture and finishes, the conversion of science labs and locker rooms to general classrooms, new faculty rooms, and a new lobby vestibule and security office.

A two-story science building with 12 labs plus a cafeteria addition would be added to the MMS campus at $36 million, bringing the total project cost to $75 million.

The option to build a brand new, expanded auditorium would bring the total project cost to $89.9 million. The current auditorium space could then be converted into art or maker-spaces, Kaeyer said. In total, a new theater and new classroom science laboratories would combine to be 42,000 square feet.

In comparison, a total building replacement for MMS would cost $240 million.

MMS Principal Kate Dimoulas said the current stage in the auditorium isn't big enough to fit an entire ensemble

"As an instructional space, that theater is also limited in capacity. My whole musical cast can't necessarily fit on the stage to do a choreography number together," Dimoulas said. "All of our ensembles have to go up to the high school to rehearse as a full ensemble for their concerts and then perform up there. I think that is a really exciting potential for our building as we consider the really incredible K-12 music and visual arts this district has."

Superintendent of DPS Dr. Eric Byrne said a larger auditorium would be beneficial for the community since access to the Darien High School auditorium can be challenging due to the large number of events held there throughout the year.

"It would be a valuable resource to the entire school district, and beyond through, I believe, the broader community," Byrne said.

Parking, traffic and field utilization were not part of KG&D's facilities assessment scope, but BOE members expressed an interest in including details about those areas in any developed educational specifications.

The Board of Education Facilities Committee will now conduct a detailed follow-up with KG&D's work.

Editor's note: A previous version of this article noted a new theater would measure 42,000 square feet. The article has been edited to reflect that the combined addition of a new theater and classroom science laboratories would combine to be 42,000 square feet.